Assessment of Road Safety in Relation to Public Transport Driver Behavior in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Road traffic accidents (RTAs) present critical socio-economic, environmental, and public health challenges in developing urban regions. Global crash metrics attribute over 90% of traffic collisions in low- and middle-income nations to human error and driver behavioral patterns. In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, public transit relies heavily on minibus taxis and city buses. Official crash metrics attribute 86% to 90% of traffic collisions in the city to driver errors and aberrant behavioral patterns. This study assesses road safety practices in relation to public transport driver behaviors in Addis Ababa using primary survey data (N=45) alongside 16-year historical crash trends (2002–2017). Statistical procedures—including K-Means Cluster Analysis, ANOVA, Pearson Correlation, and cross-tabulations—were executed via IBM SPSS Statistics. K-Means clustering established three distinct driver risk profiles: Young Novices (60.0%), Mid-Career Drivers (37.8%), and Senior Outliers (2.2%). Age (F=66.64, p<0.001) and driving experience (F=71.44, p<0.001) proved to be statistically significant predictors partitioning driver risk profiles. Younger drivers exhibited higher exposure to occupational fatigue (8+ driving hours daily), vehicle rental financial pressures, lower seatbelt compliance, and aggressive maneuvers.